Trapezius musculocutaneous flap in severe shoulder and neck burn

Scarring of the neck produces problems with function and appearance. The highly mobile anterior neck with its thin skin cover is particularly prone to flexion contractures that can range from minimally restrictive to crippling mentosternal synechiae. The trapezius muscle is the basis for muscle and musculocutaneous flaps that are of great usefulness in reconstructing defects of the head and neck and the upper back specially when there are no other regional flaps available. Use of trapezius musculocutaneous flap in the treatment of cicatricial contracture deformity of neck results in satisfactory function and external appearance and is a good method for the repair of soft tissue defects of the neck with the advantage of invariable blood supply. There is no deformation in the donor region which is hidden posteriorly. Its blood supply is rich enough to avoid any local necrosis after transplantation. Up to the present time this flap has been used to cover defects following excision of tumors in the head and upper parts of neck. Use of the trapezius musculocutaneous flap in seven patients who suffered from severe scarring in anterior neck and shoulder due to burn during an 8-year period (1995–2003) is described with good results achieved.